Mention of shooter's ethnicity unnecessary
Apr 30 2007 Re: "CUPD Assesses Campus Safety," News, April 18 To the Editor: Thank you for the article "CUPD Assesses Campus Safety." In some ways, it made me feel a little bit safer knowing about the heightened security. However, it made me feel uneasy and unsafe at the same time after reading about the last shooting that occurred at Cornell. As a Korean-American, I have felt shame, sadness, pity, anger and fear about sharing the same ethnicity as the shooter at Virginia Tech. In a society where racial inequalities and stereotypes still very much exist, I feared for what this one young Korean-American student may have done for our future race relations here in the U.S. My fear was shared by many others, where Korean parents took their children home from VTech for fear of racial backlash. Thus, I strongly believe that your reference to the last shooting at Cornell was inappropriate and uncalled for. Although you did not specifically say that Kim, the shooter at Cornell, was Korean, it can easily be implied just by his name. I believe that your mention of this one horrific incidence in which the shooter just happened to be Korean only further aggravates the very sensitive issue of race. I believe that you should have referenced the incidence at Cornell without giving names of those involved, to prevent any kind of potentially dangerous stereotypes and consequences that it may have on other Korean-Americans around campus. Rachel Baek '07 -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 30, 2007
Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
By Claire Readhead Apr 30 2007 The paradox of mental health services, generally, hovers around the issue of consent. Most mental health services require voluntary participation from the patient, except in extreme cases. Thus, the question becomes, how can someone suffering from mental illness possess the wherewithal to seek help? Even those who are not clinically ill, but just unstable, may feel that the stigma attached to mental health services is a huge repellent. In light of the Virginia Tech Massacre, all educational institutions should begin to reconsider old notions surrounding mental health and seek to make services more accessible to students. Issues of mental health are sorely misunderstood in this country, and not all medications and treatments are covered under insurance — emphasizing the cultural and political neglect of these matters. The fact that Cho Seung-Hui could fall through the cracks of a well-structured institution, such as a university, should be a Big Red Flag to all academic administrators to seriously address issues surrounding counseling services. The reality is that most students suffering from mental health related problems will not turn into Cho; however, they may fall through the cracks without such a "bang," if you will. Counseling services at universities should not be reserved for the deeply troubled, but should be open and generally administered like the flu shot. Clearly, just as with the flu shot, counseling must be voluntary on the part of the students. Students should feel free to visit a counselor without fear of censure from peers. Hmmm ... this isn't so easy. In terms of Gannett specifically, the first item of business should be that of privacy. For instance, I went in for a routine physical, and as I was walking away from the counter, the lady yelled out, "Oh by the way do you want to be tested for HIV today?!?!?!?" Wow, now that everyone in the lobby is staring at me, I really feel comfortable answering that question. I meekly replied, "Not today, thanks." I did go back to get tested by the way, because I am vigilant about taking care of my health, and the HIV form was bright orange with "HIV testing" written in huge black letters. Cool, then for a normal exam there is a paper with a giant diagram of a vagina ... excellent. So clearly I just had to run into some guy I was vaguely interested in, clutching my vagina diagram and bright orange HIV testing form to my chest. Yeah, as if that's not obvious. Then to get the results, you have to go back to Gannett and have a long chat about sex with a nurse, or better yet, a peer-advisor — who you can run into at the bars (not a bright idea, Gannett). Dude, testing is the reality of any sexually active adult, and in my opinion, the less fuss made of it, the better. In addition, Gannett ought to work on ensuring the privacy of its patients and should recognize that this issue is exceedingly important given that universities function socially like small towns, i.e. everyone is in everyone's business. Perhaps, for instance, you shouldn't have to give your name at the counter, but rather just the time of the appointment and the doctor's name. That's an itty-bitty step I know, but it would help. Also, don't play obnoxious rock music in the lobby — the students are either sick or feeling emotionally shitty. They need something soothing (damn it, I need something soothing). Okay, I'm getting distracted by details ... soon I'll be asking for lattes to be served with my therapy session. Hey, not a bad idea. Okay, and then we have Counseling and Psychological Services ... ohhhh CAPS — this is located in the basement of Gannett. The actual counselors and doctors are generally good. I just find that the process is bad. Even at CAPS — and yes, I see a shrink and I'm proud of it! — there is absolutely NO privacy in the waiting area. The receptionist asks for your name really loudly over horribly peppy music. But to assuage feelings of inadequacy and depression, they have lots of lollypops, hot chocolate and inspirational posters! Plus, CAPS is omnipresent. For instance, when I had pneumonia last winter, someone at CAPS found out, which led to an anonymous member of the clinic repeatedly calling me and asking, in a chirpy voice, "Do you plan on killing yourself today?" Yeah, that wasn't helping — an anonymous person calling to check to see if I had offed myself was not particularly comforting ... but enough about me. Really, university administrators (or whoever is in charge of this sort of thing) have got to do something to minimize the stigma associated with counseling in order to encourage students to seek help ... even if it is just to talk about the pressures of beer pong. Seriously, seeing a shrink is chic. I can talk about seeing a shrink openly because I'm from L.A. and it is considered weird not to go to therapy. My mom had a brilliant idea — a personal trainer/shrink. But I shouldn't trivialize this matter, because the lack of empathy and support surrounding mental health is an extremely serious problem. Unfortunately, mental health issues are not well understood, even by professionals, and treatment is still in the embryonic stages. But seeing as universities may not be able to a) stop the NRA b) install metal detectors in every classroom or c) change mental health care globally, they may as well start by reanalyzing their own facilities. Also, professors should be informed as to how to spot unhealthy behaviors and how to successfully refer students to counseling services, as students often look to faculty for help before consulting a trained therapist. Granted, the Virginia Tech Massacre is an anomaly, but there are plenty of students who suffer from mental illness. They will not go to the extremes that Cho did, but may end up harming themselves in some way. Universities should step up and address issues surrounding mental health and lead the way for acceptance, understanding and treatment. Claire Readhead is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at clr39@cornell.edu. Silk Blue Stockings appears alternate Mondays. -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 30, 2007
By Jeremy Siegman Apr 27 2007 Cosmology on the Rocks It always feels weird swallowing real-world events like the Virginia Tech massacre in the hazy cosmopolitanism of Uris Library. Cornell and its libraries, after all, are fleeing from the bustling Manhattans, from the culture of CNN and even the busy humming of our own town. It feels like fleeing from all that is extremist, religious or vulgar. And the Promised Land is the Hill, which, legend has it, is populated by a super-strong Atlas who can not only pick up the planet, but also stop it from warming too, and just foster utopia in general, all at the reasonable rate of only $40,000 a year (tax-free if you use Big Red Bucks!). This detached cosmopolitan Cornell is proud, richly endowed, but can be shaken. When an English major murders 32 people at a university, our university shakes. Finally, something has hit home; but utopianism hits back. Our president responds in the eloquent universalism we know best: "We are one; one community, one people, one planet." This is me responding, stuck in Uris Library because it's raining outside; I'm stuck, too, in this Skortonian universalism, as I consider the murderer, his condition and ours too. "Three Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Nevada Legislature!" exclaims a headline from NRA.org. You should press your senators to pass them, urges this National Rifle Association writer, so people can have the freedom to not register their handguns! Gun activists argue that Cho Seung-Hui should have been lawfully prevented from buying his .22-caliber and 9mm guns because of his mental illness. They also argue that gun-control laws should be toned down! This is utterly strange, this exaltation of the Second Amendment at a time like this. Considered in a vacuum, there's really nothing wrong with the right to bear arms. But when the bald eagle of America is made to hold rifles in its talons (the NRA logo) — a powerful symbol is crafted. It speaks loudly for a lot of Americans. The symbolic exaltation is poor form, with poor results: the nation that made Terminator I-III, Rambo, Quentin Tarantino and Cho too. Tarantino is not Cho — a talented artist, not a murderer. He doesn't shoot, he makes aesthetics. But what is his aesthetic? It is images of Cho and for Cho. Aesthetics broadcast culture, and culture affects people. What Cho most needed was probably medication. But what he needed second most was a culture that says, "don't shoot." This he did not quite have; rather, he had Kill Bill. And he had a precedent of almost 20 school shootings in America in the past 10 years. Add this to the list of things in which we lead the world; Germany is a not-so-close second, with only three. We have a cult of violence in this country. We also have a cult of hyper-individualism: the kind that cherishes individual rights like not having to register your gun. Violence could exist without this cult and so could mental illness; but I merely suggest some cultural change wouldn't be a bad thing. Diversity within Cornell works because the lack of religious and ethnic unity is compensated for: the minute you get here you are hit over the head with Freshman Orientation. You are explicitly told, that despite the diverse backgrounds and different colors — we are all friends. You are showered with programs and people your age, with your interests, your intelligence ... But diversity in the real America is ugly at times — the same diversity is extant, but there's no Freshman Orientation. There's no one really saying we are all friends. (In fact, we compete with out neighbors for almost everything.) We lack, then, a common language with which to tell the school shooters, "don't shoot." The American suicide murderer has no cause — unlike those who blew up themselves and 191 Iraqis in Baghdad just days after Virginia Tech. But perhaps what an American rebel with no cause needs is ... a cause. And a peaceful one to boot. In America, everyone has a different moral code — from the Bible to Gandhi to Oprah. The only normative force we share is our secular law: don't shoot because you'll go to jail. But Americans feel oppositional towards the law anyway: the under-21 collegiate "elite" could proudly drink most baby boomers under the table. The law is not enough. If there's anything that could work it might be Christianity; but America is no longer Christian. So why not just let each denomination speak its piece? A chorus of don't shoots in different languages and moralities? We already have this multiplicity, and Cho falls through the cracks. To add to our diversity, we a need language more common, so widely held that it can be strong enough to speak to the next Cho. If Americans are so different, it's only knowledge of each other that will bring that commonality. It's a university, or at least a good high school, that will bring that knowledge. It's getting everyone, even the poor, into those schools ... Consider, then, our Cornellian cosmopolitanism — "We are one; one community, one people, one planet" — turning around with the Hokies and the citizenry and facing reality, facing Cho, facing his Columbine counterparts Dylan and Eric. Consider gathering the psychological knowledge of their sickness, the practical knowledge of how to make society safe and the moral knowledge that murder is wrong. Consider gathering all this and broadcasting it mercilessly on TV, alongside images of eagles with no rifles in their talons. This might take a really long time — culture does — and there will always be psychological violence. But if the relative peace of this campus on a Hill is any paradigm, then let's take the reigns of the real world. Let's be powerful the way we know how. Let's create some ideology, disseminate it and brainwash everyone. If we're good enough at it, we'll even reach the next Cho: mental illness could resist even a culture of peace, but it'd be quite a bit harder. Yes, we'll pick up where the sixties left off: we'll brainwash them into thinking we are all one. Maybe, in fact, we are. Jeremy Siegman is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at jas367@cornell.edu. Cosmology on the Rocks appears alternate Fridays. -- Original Source:Cornell Daily Sun - April 27, 2007
By Sarah Singer Sun City Editor Apr 18 2007 Cornell responds to recent tragedy at Virginia Tech Yesterday, several university officials hosted a media call-in where they discussed safety and security on the Cornell campus in the aftermath of Monday's shooting at Virginia Polytechnical Institute. The participants were Curt Ostrander, chief of Cornell University Police, Greg Eells, director of counseling and psychological services for Gannett, Tim Marchall, director of mental health initiatives for Gannett and Tommy Bruce, vice president of University communications. Although the tragedy in Virginia did not pose an immediate threat to Cornell's safety, Eells said he had "some concerns" about the safety of all college campuses during this frightening time. "Traumas like this can make students' own problems more clear to them," he said. "We have heightened the police presence around residential areas," said Ostrander, "and we are being especially attentive to all of campus as well." Although the University is in a heightened state of security, according to Ostrander, anticipating the exact measures it would take if faced with a crisis situation similar to Virginia Tech's is difficult, but confidently stated, "we have the plans and procedures in place to deal with situations like this," he said. "We would dispatch a multiple officer response," he continued. Ostrander said that the CUPD "assesses the campus every six months" to ensure its high level of safety for students. He also said that there are "training programs in place for resident hall directors on what to do in dangerous situations. We can track who enters and leaves the dorms, and can implement a lockdown if necessary," he said. This effort to maintain a high level of security on campus extends beyond police efforts. Eells emphasized a number of educational initiatives that involve "working with residence halls directors to identify students and reach out to students if they are struggling," he said. He could not outline the specific steps that a counselor would undertake when helping a student as he said such would have to be determined "on a case-by-case basis." However, Ostrander emphasized that if students encounter a physical threat at any time, "they can receive information from the dispatch at any time." Bruce stressed, "student to student programs are extremely important on campus at times like this." Although he is confident in the University's ability to handle emergency situations, Ostrander said that Cornell's large size does pose complications when faced with a situation that warrants a school-wide lockdown that would affect 250 major buildings and approximately 30,000 residents. The last shooting that occurred at Cornell was on Sunday, Dec. 17, 1983 when 26-year-old Su Yong Kim of Queens, New York shot and killed two freshmen girls, Young H. Suh '87 and Erin C. Nieswand '87, roommates living in Low Rise 7. Kim was Suh's ex-boyfriend. He arrived at Suh's dorm at 11:30 on Saturday night, and Kim unwillingly agreed to see him. After threatening Suh and other dorm residents in her room, Kim agreed to let everyone besides Suh and Nieswan leave the room. The residents immediately called the police, who said the shots were fired at about 11:50 p.m. He used a rifle with a silencer attached. After murdering both women, Kim killed himself, according to an article in The Sun. -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 18, 2007
By Behzad Varamini Apr 25 2007 Gain Through Loss Hours after students cowered behind desks and played dead in hopes that Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung-Hui would spare their lives, minutes after the body count was made public and started to climb, it took only seconds for the gluttonous demons in dark corners of men's souls to perk up and devise a plan on how to best capitalize on a tragic story that even satisfied the devil himself. Atheists and evangelicals, gun-toters and arms opposers, and other talking heads with punches to throw delayed healing by using the backdrop of the tragic killings to guilefully push their own agendas. Amidst these vultures, perhaps the most flagrant exploiter of the catastrophe was NBC News, who decided to air self-taken photographs and a homemade video of Cho multiple times over national airwaves, just two days after the events took place and literally hours after the videos were received. In between the first and second set of murders last Monday, April 16, the killer put the finishing touches on the video and overnighted it, along with a series of photographs, to NBC News headquarters. Soon after the tapes of wrath aired, NBC President Steve Capus made a statement assuring Americans that the network struggled with the decision to release the videos. In the end, however, NBC pinned their collective conscious into submission and granted the psychotic killer a public posthumous forum, completing the final phase of Cho's demonic plan. Just a quick look at the pictures and videos makes Capus' motives clear. Stamped into the top-left corner of the video and every still of Cho is the NBC news logo — peacock and all. NBC News anchor Brian Williams admitted in a later interview that airing even part of the video would promise the killer the martyrdom he hoped to achieve. In the name of profit, NBC served as an instrumental accomplice, helping make Cho's plan come to complete fruition and allowing the friends and families of the victims the opportunity to look into the eyes of the gun-wielding killer, the same eyes their loved ones saw before losing their lives. Releasing the video helped further what Cho started, burying the lives of the innocent underneath layers of dirt and self-serving agendas. Feeling disgust after being repeatedly showered with sponsored images and videos of the killer, I began to wonder how much information was publicly known about the innocent victim's lives. Online newspapers such as the New York Times provided brief bios and one or two photos of each victim. Hometowns, majors and quotes from friends provided abbreviated and filtered second-hand accounts of the victim's lives; accounts which didn't seem to satisfy my suddenly aching need to find out who these kids really were, what they did for fun and what they hoped and dreamed of. As unthinkable as it may seem, links to MySpace profiles provided what is probably the most personal and endearing insights available about the victim's lives in their own words. The first MySpace profile I came across was that of freshman Lauren McCain. Lauren was a 20-year old international studies major from Oklahoma. Her brother Joel was listed as her hero. She hoped to have children one day and wanted to meet Andre the Giant because he was "sooooo cool!" Of all the details on her page, none proved more horrifying than time-stamped comments from friends which evolve from hellos and jokes to urgent pleas asking Lauren to call her parents to grieving memoirs describing her as a great role model and friend. Further agonizing are Lauren's pictures. Several display her presumable love of nature and outdoors and she stands in front of a botanical garden in one shot and in another overlooks the horizon on a sunny day in San Diego. Littered with goofy comments and exclamation points, Lauren's profile began to reflect a young and lively girl. As much as I ache to help, situations like these leave me feeling completely unqualified as a voice and helpless as a human being. I know Virginia Tech has established a Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to assist victims and their families. Though I am hesitant in suggesting a financial contribution at the expense of the valid criticism that money won't make things better, I trust the fund was established because families and the school legitimately need help and I ask everyone to consider donating. Though I never knew Lauren and only know about her what she decided to reveal on her MySpace page, I am convinced that the world is a lesser place without her and the other 31 people lost in this immeasurable catastrophe. I pray healing and comfort will come swiftly to all those affected so that one day soon, we can begin to live life the way it was originally intended, before wretched souls began turning innocent loss into their own gain. Behzad Varamini is a graduate student in Nutritional Sciences. He can be contacted at bv29@cornell.edu. Gain Through Loss appears alternate Wednesdays. -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 25, 2007
By Ari Rabkin Apr 26 2007 Between the Lines One of the striking facts about the Virginia Tech shootings was how predictable the murderer's identity was. The authorities knew long before his rampage that Cho Seung-Hui was not merely "troubled," but dangerous. A court had ruled two years previously that he posed an "imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness." As a result, he was civilly committed to an outpatient mental-health clinic. He checked out the next day, however, without being effectively treated. In the wake of the shootings, many commentators have decried the gradual decline in involuntary commitment to mental health facilities. The courts, so the thinking goes, should have been more aggressive, and should have committed Cho to an inpatient facility, and not released him until he was judged to be no longer dangerous. But this sort of confinement poses awkward questions. The mentally ill are confined — locked up — not because they have done anything wrong, but because they might be dangerous in the future. Sun Podcast: A podcast is available for this column. Click here to listen to or to download it.Sun Podcast: A podcast is available for this column. Click here to listen to or to download it.To lock people up, not because they are criminals, but because they are dangerous, subverts many of our normal notions of due process. To go free, a criminal defendant needs to rebut a factual allegation; he needs to show that he didn't commit a particular act. A prisoner confined for being dangerous, however, is in a much more precarious position. "Danger" cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of laymen, but can only be assessed by expert judgment. To avoid making such judgments, American civil law does not have a general category of "dangerous persons" other than the mentally ill. Sane individuals can normally be imprisoned only after a criminal conviction, for a crime they have already committed. Civil confinement, as it is called, is restricted to those judged to be "mentally abnormal." This category, in addition to violent psychotics and the like, includes repeat sex offenders, a group that society has become increasingly eager to keep off the streets. Many states now allow the government to confine serious sex offenders even after they have served their criminal sentence. Proponents of such "civil confinement" laws argue that these individuals have so strong a compulsion to sexually abuse others that it would be dangerous to release them, and that so long as they are a menace, they should be confined. Enemy prisoners in wartime are yet another class of prisoners, held not as criminals, but as menaces. Unlike the mentally ill, they are held outside of the ordinary legal system entirely. The United States is currently holding hundreds of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and many others at detention sites in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. These detainees are not criminals, and often can be charged with no crimes, since American civilian courts do not have jurisdiction over acts committed by foreign nationals outside the United States. Altering the law to cover such cases is an unattractive option. Scooping up foreigners, and trying them before American civilian courts, for acts that were legal when and where they were committed, is a precedent that the government is rightly loathe to set. Non-judicial detention is absolutely necessary. School shootings and suicide bombings have this in common: the perpetrators do not expect to survive, are prepared to go to great lengths to kill others and cannot be deterred. The normal criminal justice system is not designed or equipped to stop such acts. Stopping such acts requires preemptive confinement. But on what terms should so extraordinary a confinement be imposed? There is a striking parallelism between the military's procedures for detaining enemy combatants, and our civil responses to mental illness. These parallels may help us understand each case by reference to the other. In many states, the mentally ill can be confined after an administrative hearing, with no jury. The standard of proof is generally "clear and convincing evidence," not the proof beyond a reasonable doubt required for criminal conviction. Likewise, terror detainees are evaluated by military review boards, not civil juries. The standard of proof required to hold prisoners at Guantanamo is not precisely defined, but prisoners are routinely released as "no longer dangerous." Locking people away and forgetting them is, of course, abhorrent, and both the mentally ill and terror detainees, are reevaluated on a yearly or bi-yearly basis. Preemptive confinement, while necessary, must not be overused, and the courts have created a number of limitations on its use domestically. Only the "mentally abnormal" may be confined, and only if they pose a substantial risk. Similarly, detention in wartime is constrained by the scope of the war. The prisoners held at Guantanamo are in our custody either because a government with jurisdiction over them turned them over, or because they were seized in an area of active combat operations. The U.S. does not have a general legal right to take prisoners from the soil of the United States or friendly powers. The procedures appropriate for the mentally abnormal are obviously different from those suitable for handling enemy combatants in wartime. The threats posed by the two groups and our legal obligations to each are very different. In both cases, though, the normal mechanisms of reactive justice are insufficient, and society has a compelling interest in confining them, not as punishment, but as prevention. Likewise in both cases, we must balance the risk posed by a dangerous individual versus the rights of that individual, and the risk of confining the innocent. There is no guarantee that a court would have found Cho to be "abnormal," or that harmless individuals will not be confined. Consequently, we owe ourselves, and our prisoners, a clear account as to when this sort of confinement is appropriate, and what standards of proof apply. We owe it to society to do our utmost to protect the innocent from those who, either from illness or malice, would do them harm. Ari Rabkin is a graduate student in Computer Science. He can be contacted at asr32­@­c­o­r­n­ell.edu. Between the Lines appears Thursdays. -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 26, 2007
Obituary: Former APL Staff Member Among Virginia Tech Shooting Victims
Kevin Granata, who began his professional career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, was among those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16. A professor of engineering science and mechanics, he was considered one of the nation's top researchers working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy. He was 45. Granata joined the Lab in 1986 and worked on low-frequency performance issues for long towed arrays in the former Submarine Technology Department (now the National Security Technology Department). His initial work helped to form the justification for the series of Doppler signal suppression experiments that were conducted by APL in 1990 and 1991. He was very interested in biomechanics and left the Lab in 1989 to obtain a PhD in biomechanics from Ohio State. "He was a bright young guy who came here from school, had a lot of energy and was very capable," Joseph S. Lombardo, his APL supervisor and now director of the Lab's Center of Excellence in Public Health and Informatics, told The Baltimore Sun. "Kevin had a very good scientific background and was able to do a substantial level of analysis." Granata, who had received his bachelor's degree in engineering physics and electrical engineering from Ohio State and master's in physics from Purdue, went on to an esteemed career in teaching and research, first at the University of Virginia and then at Virginia Tech. He lectured nationally and internationally and had numerous publications and research grants. A runner and cyclist, he enjoyed participating in biathlons and triathlons. He also loved reading and coaching his sons' lacrosse teams. Survivors include his wife, Linda; two sons, Alex and Eric; a daughter, Ellen; and his parents, Mildred and Joseph Granata. Memorials can be made to the Kevin P. Granata Memorial Trust, 1872 Pratt Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24068. -- Original Source: Johns Hopkins Gazette - April 23, 2007
Virginia Tech tragedy unites VU community
by Joan Brasher News of the events of April 16, 2007 - a violent shooting on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., that resulted in the deaths of 33 students and faculty members - sent chills down the spines of all within earshot of a television, radio or the Internet. University students, faculty and staff across the nation and the world watched the media coverage in stunned silence, as the death toll escalated and the convoluted details slowly became clear. For many students, the first reaction to the shocking event was fear, said Vanderbilt Student Government Association President Cara Bilotta, a junior. "As you watch the tragedy unfold on TV, you cannot help but think, 'Could this happen here?'" Bilotta said. "Your initial reaction is fear of the unknown. The question is, could any university really prevent an incident like Virginia Tech? The good news is that Vanderbilt has always taken a proactive approach to security." University communities nationwide, even those with no direct relationship to the victims, were hard hit, and campus administrators quickly convened not only to reach out to Virginia Tech's faculty, staff and students, but to re-evaluate crisis preparedness on their respective campuses. Chancellor Gordon Gee communicated with the Vanderbilt community via e-mail shortly after the shooting, stating, "Words fail to encompass a calamity of such magnitude. At this raw stage, we can offer our attention, our consideration and our sympathy. We respond with the best part of ourselves." He encouraged students to take advantage of the university's psychological counseling services, seek out religious life groups or turn to resident advisers for support. All Faiths Chapel on the first floor of Vanderbilt Divinity School was made available for reflection, meditation and prayer. Two days after the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held at Benton Chapel. Vanderbilt chaplains, as well as representatives from Tennessee State University, Belmont University, Lipscomb University and Fisk University, conducted the service sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. Mourners gathered to seek comfort and memorialize loved ones lost. Vanderbilt students who knew victims of the shooting also shared their stories and remembrances. For Joshua Parlaman, a Virginia Tech alumnus who works as a research assistant at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, it was too soon to attend a memorial service. Instead, to assuage his grief he reached out to former classmates and family members. Having the support of his Vanderbilt colleagues was invaluable, he said. "Being at Vanderbilt at this time has been both comforting and humbling," Parlaman said. "The solidarity expressed by Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff has really moved me. I realize how deeply this has affected us all, uniting everyone with those at Virginia Tech." As Vanderbilt students, their parents, faculty and staff raised questions of security, Vanderbilt's administration quickly responded with explanations of the existing measures in place. Campus safety officials compiled and distributed a fact sheet that addressed concerns, such as identifying students with potential behavior problems, and included information on safety, law enforcement and emergency communications. On April 20, a free emergency alert text-messaging service was set up for students, faculty and staff, made available through Vanderbilt's existing text-messaging service, MobileVU. "The recent tragedy at Virginia Tech has highlighted the importance of rapid and accurate communications during emergency situations, and particularly the value of cell phone text messaging to relay important information," said Michael Schoenfeld, vice chancellor for public affairs. "With 330 acres, 233 buildings and as many as 40,000 people on campus during a busy work day, reaching every individual presents a challenge. Emergency text messaging ... is an important addition to the existing communications channels." At noon on April 23, a week after the incident, a moment of silence was observed on Vanderbilt's campus as the bells at Kirkland Hall tolled 32 times, once for each person slain by gunman Seung-hui Cho. Students, dressed in Virginia Tech's school colors of maroon and orange, congregated at the Sarratt Promenade, where representatives of Vanderbilt's student government distributed commemorative ribbons, while students, faculty and staff wrote words of encouragement in a leather-bound book emblazoned with the Vanderbilt seal, a gift for the Virginia Tech student government. A banner hanging behind the signing table read, "Today we are all Hokies." "There were those who had friends (at Virginia Tech), or friends of friends there, and because of how connected we are through the university community, people wanted to reach out," Bilotta said. "Some students simply signed their name, others wrote detailed messages, saying 'I knew someone there, I feel for you.' I think that was a great way to help students heal and begin the recovery process." "Fortunately, I did not know anyone killed or injured on April 16," Parlaman said. "This tragedy does, however, take a personal toll. Virginia Tech and Blacksburg were my home for four years. ... I feel a sense of sorrow knowing that what was my safe haven is now forever scarred with the memory of these horrific events." Though the recovery process will take time, Bilotta said she feels hopeful about what is to come. "I think Virginia Tech is starting to move forward," she said. "We are grieving, but we are moving forward to get beyond this awful tragedy and hope for a more peaceful future." -- Original Source: Vanderbilt University Daily Register - April 17, 2007
Joan Brasher <joan.brasher@vanderbilt.edu>
Members of the Vanderbilt community expressed their support for Virginia Tech by signing a leather-bound message book emblazoned with the Vanderbilt seal, a gift for Virginia Tech's student government organization. Photo by Steve Green
Vigil draws mourners for Va. Tech tragedy A memorial and candlelight service for the students and faculty slain or inured during the April 16 shooting at Virginia Tech was held April 18 at Benton Chapel. Pictured (l-r) are Virginia Tech Alumna Kathy Boyer and Vanderbilt's Presbyterian campus minister Jennifer Fouse. The event was sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. Donations for the families of those affected by the tragedy may be made to the Virginia Tech Foundation, University Development, 902 Prices Fork Road (0336), Blacksburg, VA 24061.
Wear orange and maroon today for Va. Tech
Members of the Vanderbilt community are encouraged to wear orange and maroon today to honor those killed in the tragic events on the Virginia Tech campus. Commemorative ribbons will be distributed on the Sarratt Promenade from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon, a moment of silence will be observed across campus as the Kirkland Hall bell toll once for each of the victims of the shooting. Members of the Vanderbilt community are encouraged to sign a bound leather volume with a Vanderbilt University seal, located at the Sarratt desk. It will be sent to the Virginia Tech Student Government. For times when it will be available to be signed, click here. Vanderbilt Student Government is sponsoring the campus-wide orange and maroon day. -- Original Source: Vanderbilt Daily Register - April 19, 2007
Emory's Campus No Place For Guns Issue date: 5/1/07 Section: Editorials The recent controversy concerning funding for a College Republicans' trip to a shooting range has brought the issues of gun control and campus safety to the forefront of the Emory discourse. Last Wednesday, College Council denied the College Republicans funding to help pay for a trip to a local shooting range. The College Republicans said they hoped the trip would promote safe and responsible gun handling and ownership. College Council legislators say they withheld the funds due to safety concerns, even going so far as to propose an amendment to the organization's monetary code prohibiting the use of College Council funds to purchase or rent firearms and ammunition. Generally speaking, we believe College Council should be able to fund activities like a trip to the shooting range. Shooting is a sport recognized by the NCAA, and shooting range sessions monitored by professionals are exceedingly safe. Amending the monetary code to prevent such trips is unwarranted. It's unfortunate that the shootings at Virginia Tech took place just weeks before the scheduled date for the trip, but given that the College Republicans had been planning this event for quite some time, we don't believe the shootings are an adequate reason for the trip to be cancelled. Although some could perceive the trip as insensitive, there is still an immense difference between safely firing a gun at a target and using a gun to commit mass murder. If the College Republicans want to take a trip to the shooting range, then they should receive the same support given to any other group. What we cannot condone is the College Republicans' plan to request permission from University President James W. Wagner to carry concealed weapons on campus. This idea was proposed by nationally syndicated radio host Lars Larson on whose show Tittsworth appeared to discuss the Council's decision to deny funding. Under current Georgia law, it is illegal for a civilian to carry any sort of weapon or explosive compound while on school property. There's a reason such a law was passed. We understand the need for protection and the value of feeling safe at school, but we do not believe that allowing more guns on campus will help foster the open learning environment we want at the University. Allowing guns on campus would propagate an atmosphere tinged with the spectre of possible violence. This would make us less safe, rather than moreso. The only people who should be allowed guns on campus are those who have gone through rigorous training to become certified in their use and have taken an oath to protect the citizenry - in this case, the Emory Police Department. The College Republicans should realize that by tying the issue of funding from College Council to the ludicrous question of concealed weapons on campus, they are only hurting their prospects of getting that money in the future. Who would want to give money for a shooting range trip to a group that has expressed its desire to carry concealed weapons on campus? As the Second Amendment states, there is a place for guns in our society. The shooting range is one of those places - Emory's campus is not. -- Original Source: Emory Wheel - May 1, 2007
"Christopher H. Megerian" <cmegeri@LearnLink.Emory.Edu>
Administration: Emory to Open Crisis Office
By: Susan McMillan Issue date: 4/24/07 Section: News Emory will establish an Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response to coordinate responses to catastrophic events, University officials announced Thursday. The office, CEPAR, will report directly to University President James W. Wagner. Although the announcement about CEPAR comes close on the heels of last week's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, its director, Alexander Isakov, said the timing is coincidental. "What brought this to the foreground was the University's effort in the fall of 2005 to address the challenges of a pandemic strain of influenza," said Isakov, an associate professor of emergency medicine. The office was recommended by the Avian Influenza Task Force, which evaluated Emory's ability to respond to a flu pandemic, and it was first officially proposed in January 2006. CEPAR will also work on drawing up plans to deal with natural disasters, campus violence, disease outbreak and other situations. Isakov will assume his new position on May 1, and funding for the office begins Sept. 1, the start of the University's fiscal year. He said the staff of CEPAR will identify current emergency response plans in place across Emory's divisions and coordinate them to eliminate duplication. By making planning more efficient and cohesive, Isakov said, the University can ensure more effective responses to catastrophic events. In addition, by bringing together Emory's emergency planning and response functions, CEPAR will be able to serve as a "central command and control center" in the case of a crisis, Isakov said. Emory also plans to enhance its emergency notification systems with a handful of new technologies, Emory Police Department Chief Craig Watson said. He said the timing of the announcement of the enhancements is also coincidental, since they emerged as recommendations from a task force last fall. "We've been working on this for quite a while now," Watson said. One suggestion was a siren and public address system that could be used for inclement weather warnings or voice messages. Another addition would be a computerized paging system that could target key groups, such as building managers, or be used more broadly, like a text-message warning sent to registered cell phones. Less direct notification systems proposed include banners for Emory's cable TV system and the creation of an AM radio station that could also provide traffic and campus directions when there is no emergency. Watson said funding has been secured for these improvements and that they are expected to be in place by the end of 2007, if not sooner. -- Original Source: Emory Wheel - April 24, 2007
Korean Students Shouldn't Have to Fear Backlash
By: Martha Kim Issue date: 4/24/07 Section: Letters to the Editor To the editor: As a Korean-American, I am appalled at the media's focus on the fact that the Virginia Tech killer was a "resident alien" from South Korea, even though he has lived in the U.S. for 15 of his 23 years of life. Had Cho Seung-Hui been born in a Western European country, his nationality would not have been a focal point of the news coverage. I feel that Koreans in America, or even those in Korea, should not feel the need or obligation to apologize for the actions of one man. Cho did not speak or act on behalf of Koreans everywhere, and he most certainly does not represent the attitudes Koreans have. My parents emigrated from Korea and many of my friends are also the children of Korean immigrants, yet none of us feel any desire to repeat what this man has done. So why should the Korean community in America fear a backlash? Should this group feel the need to make amends for a stranger's actions? As a Virginian, I grieve with the families and peers of the victims. I have many friends who attend Virginia Tech, and I was terrified for their well-being, both physically and psychologically, upon hearing the news. But I did not feel the necessity to apologize for his deeds. Had he been from Kansas, should all residents of Kansas have felt compelled to apologize? Yes, he was a resident alien from Korea who was socially inept and shunned by his classmates, but there are other aspects of his character that should be addressed instead of his ethnicity, such as the fact that he was mentally ill or that he was suicidal. We should be focused on recognizing signals of a troubled person and preparing to handle it appropriately instead of hounding on his race. I felt no shame to be Korean after this incident. Why does the world insist that I must? Martha Kim Class of 2010 -- Original Source:Emory Wheel - April 24, 2007
By Allie Lowe, The Dartmouth Staff April 17, 2007 Braving the rain and wind, approximately 100 members of the Dartmouth community gathered on Collis porch Monday night to recognize the individuals killed in that morning's shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The two shootings, the first of which occurred in a dormitory and the second in a classroom building, took place two hours apart and left 32, plus the gunman, dead. The event marks the most deadly shooting in U.S. history. Monday night's vigil was organized by Haley Morris '08 and Heather Strack '07. Morris first had the idea to plan the event after receiving word of the events in an e-mail sent to her sorority, Sigma Delta. "These are our peers in another institution and I thought that they shouldn't be alone right now," Morris said. Other campus organizations, including the Tucker Foundation, the Panhellenic Council and several Greek houses, provided funding and support. "This event was really pulled together by an interesting network of Blitzing," Strack said. "In an hour, it was done." At the ceremony, Strack and Morris read excerpts from an e-mail received from Julie Walters Steele of Virginia Tech's Unions and Student Activities office, thanking Dartmouth for its support. Following a brief moment of silence, the Ladies of Logos, an a cappella group comprised of members of the Gospel Choir, sang to the crowd. "I'm really proud of Dartmouth," RuDee Lipscomb '08, a member of the Ladies of Logos, said. "[This event] restores your faith in the College." After the event, students were invited to sign several large cards which will remain in Collis during the day tomorrow, and then be sent to Virginia Tech on Wednesday. Dean of the College Dan Nelson characterized the administration's reaction to the event as "one of profound sorrow and shock." "It's hard to imagine how any community deals with such a shocking, senseless, awful tragedy," Nelson said. Though he emphasized Dartmouth's safety, Nelson said that no campus can consider itself resistant to all violence. "We've all learned in reading newspapers and watching the news over the years that disturbed people can do senseless tragic things everywhere," Nelson said. "This is a relatively safe community, but in our lives none of us are ultimately absolutely protected or immune from something like that." Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone agreed that the event shows that there exists the potential for violence in any community. Giaccone said that the Hanover Police Department's officers are prepared to respond to events like those that occurred at Virginia Tech on Monday. "Our officers are trained and are equipped to handle a dynamic event when it first starts," Giaccone said. "Although we have access to a SWAT team, putting a SWAT team in operation would be at least an hour's wait, so the officers that are on duty have to handle the situation, and go where the shots are being heard and try to neutralize it." Giaccone did note one potential obstacle in the Police Department's response to an emergency. "The College for whatever reason refuses to give police access to the dorms, so if the situation should arise on campus the police may be a little hamstrung in getting in and out of dorms should a situation like that occur." New Hampshire, Giaccone said, has relatively lax gun laws as a result of a strong gun lobby. It is legal in New Hampshire, for example, to carry an exposed firearm, as long as the carrier does not have a felony record. Students wishing to have a gun at Dartmouth are required to store it with Safety and Security. College Proctor and Director of Safety and Security Harry Kinne was unavailable for comment by press time. Throughout the day on Monday, students, faculty, and staff sought to share updates and information about the tragedy. E-mail with news updates circulated around many Greek houses, as well as among other campus organizations. Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority president Abby Reed '08 said that members of her sorority sent out e-mails with updates throughout the day. Members were also encouraged to attend Monday's vigil. "It obviously came as a big shock," Reed said. "It makes us aware of the dangers that go on at all college campuses, even though we all feel really safe here." Many students were impacted by the parallels between Dartmouth and Virginia Tech. "I've never cried watching the news before," Kelly McLaughlin '07 said. "It sounded so much like it could happen here in a way." -- Original Source: The Dartmouth - April 17, 2007 Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
"Edward D. Kalletta III" <publisher@thedartmouth.com>
A participant in Monday night's vigil ceremony, sporting a Virginia Tech hat, signs a giant card in Collis Cafe. It will be sent to the university Wednesday. Photo: Maggie Goldstein/The Dartmouth Staff Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
By THE DARTMOUTH EDITORIAL BOARD, Published on Friday, April 20, 2007 There is no easy answer to the question, What could have prevented the Virginia Tech massacre? Perhaps nothing could have been done. However, gun violence occurs every day across America and the ready availability of guns exacerbates the problem. After Ali Abu Kamal shot and killed seven atop the Empire State Building 10 years ago, then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani called for Congress to "do more" in monitoring the ownership of guns in this country. It is unfortunate that it takes tragedies of these magnitudes to jumpstart conversation about gun control, but gun control has been an issue long before the events in Blacksburg or Columbine or New York City. It is our hope that the heinous acts of one man on one college campus will awaken college students at Dartmouth and across the country to force this issue to the forefront of the national political arena - and that it stays there. It's easy to present statistics seemingly demonstrating that the presence of handguns either increases or decreases senseless deaths. One thing is for sure: The debate here hinges on safety and the prevention of violence - not the peripheral goals of hunters and the gun industry. Guns are an unfortunate part of the American tradition. No one can seriously suggest that arming students or classrooms would be valid measures to combat violence. The non-sporting arguments against gun control contend that citizens should have the right to have firearms in their home to protect against intruders. No reasonable individual thinks people should carry weapons around. A rational measure that could help prevent another Virginia Tech massacre would be the institution of more in-depth checks and restrictions on those who want to purchase guns. As for the Dartmouth community, we are in a unique position. Every presidential candidate who is serious about winning the White House will be visiting Dartmouth in the coming months. When they come, we must force them to address gun control. Research candidates' positions. Ask pointed questions. In the wake of the Virginia Tech attack, Giuliani, like many of the candidates, is now hiding behind the Second Amendment, declining to talk about ways to make this country safer. Regardless of where each of us stands, we should make it our duty to put the spotlight on gun control and force the candidates to do so as well. -- Original Source: The Dartmouth - April 20, 2007 Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
By Richard Crocker, College Chaplain Friday, April 20, 2007 To the Editor: We mourn the deaths of students and faculty at Virginia Tech ("Virginia Tech gunman kills 32 in bloodbath," April 17). It is appropriate and natural that we should do so. We identify with the victims and their friends and families, because they are like us. They are students and staff at a university in a very pastoral location. Our own sense of security is threatened by this violence. Already, in e-mails and blogs, I am hearing calls for greater college security, ranging from arming campus police to allowing students to arm themselves. Our sense of invulnerability at Dartmouth has, despite some very tragic events, remained rather strong. Last year I attended my son's graduation from a college in New York City; all guests went through metal detectors and had their belongings examined. This is, of course, a great contrast to the Dartmouth graduation. While I understand that conversations about campus security will inevitably, and perhaps productively, occur, I hope that one important fact does not get ignored: senseless violence is horrible wherever it occurs, whether in Darfur or Israel or Palestine or Iraq. The deaths at Virginia Tech are devastating, but their number is a fraction of those being killed daily in Iraq or Darfur. This does not mean that we should grieve these students' deaths less; rather, it means that we should grieve all violent deaths more. And, unless our grief produces opposition to violence, it is futile. Every life lost at Virginia Tech was precious; the loss is incalculable. But every life lost to violence anywhere is equally precious. Let us remember, and speak. -- Original Source: The Dartmouth - April 20, 2007 Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
The flag flies at half staff. Orginial Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soilrocks/468956644/in/photostream/ Photo courtesy of Jarrod Miller
Permission: Jarrod Miller Jarrod@uky.edu
Squires Student Center is filled with posters, message boards, flowers, and other items that universities, businesses, and other places around the country have sent to Virginia Tech. Orginial Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soilrocks/468955758/in/photostream/ Photo courtesy of Jarrod Miller